Bill Maher is much more than a middling stand-up.
Over the decades, Maher has become one of the most influential voices in American media. His journey from the comedy circuit to the arena of political discourse is a testament to his ability to navigate the choppy waters of modern media.
A recent report by Mediaite even suggested he is one of the most trusted names in media. That honor prompts some scrutiny.
Maher’s appeal lies in his willingness to challenge mainstream media narratives.
He is a self-proclaimed liberal who consistently calls out what he sees as the excesses and absurdities of the left. This stance has earned him a reputation as a “sane liberal,” someone unafraid to critique his own side while also taking aim at conservative folly.
His unique position on the late-night circuit, where he skewers both sides, sets him apart from Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, John Oliver and Stephen Colbert.
Admittedly, it’s a low bar, but he clears it.
Maher and the Truth: It’s Complicated
However, Maher’s credibility is not without its contradictions. His rage towards Donald Trump has blinded him to the shortcomings of the current administration.
This bias has been evident in recent episodes of HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher.” He has gone to comical lengths to defend President Joe Biden. On June 21, despite footage showing Biden looking visibly disoriented, Maher dismissed concerns as conservative media manipulation.
He dubbed the clips cheap and misleading.
His guests, Adam Kinzinger and Andrew Cuomo, a man who knows a few things about misleading the public, concurred.
Maher’s cringeworthy defense of Biden raises uncomfortable questions. Is he deliberately misleading his audience, or is he genuinely unable to see the president’s clear cognitive decline?
The evidence suggests the former.
In between his impassioned defenses of Biden, Maher often jokes about the president’s age and even, on the June 21 episode, his supposed incontinence. This joke elicited laughter from his audience. This laughter was telling.
Even Maher’s loyal viewers recognize the president’s frailties.
It’s a curious spectacle, watching Maher dismiss serious concerns while simultaneously mining them for comedic fodder. It’s as if he’s trying to serve two masters—maintaining his liberal credentials while also tapping into the undeniable reality that Biden’s competency is a legitimate issue.
This balancing act, however, is precarious.
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The duality (let’s be blunt, dishonesty) in Maher’s approach—passionately defending Biden on the one hand, and making him the butt of jokes on the other—sows seeds of doubt about his true stance and motivations.
The irony here is palpable. Maher, celebrated for his sharp wit and incisive commentary, seems to be gaslighting his audience.
By downplaying Biden’s evident struggles while simultaneously making light of them, he attempts to have it both ways. This duplicity undermines the trust his viewers place in him and casts a shadow over his reputation as a truth-teller.
It’s a classic case of wanting to eat one’s cake and have it too—a juggling act that risks collapsing under its contradictions. Maher’s strength has always been his ability to cut through the noise and tell it like it is, but when it comes to Biden, his vision seems to falter. He becomes a jester dancing around a critical issue, hoping the audience’s laughter will drown out their doubts.
Maher’s Biden Blindspot Is Too Big to Ignore
The comedian’s predicament is not unique.
Other influential figures, such as Robert De Niro and Charlamagne tha God, are similarly blinded by their disdain for Trump. This hatred clouds their judgment, leading them to defend the indefensible.
There is a certain tragic irony in this: their aversion to one man has rendered them incapable of seeing the flaws in another. De Niro’s vitriolic outbursts against Trump are legendary, but his silence on Biden’s missteps is deafening.
Charlamagne tha God, who enjoys portraying himself as a candid commentator, also finds himself in a similar bind, where his critiques of Trump are intense, even unhinged, but his Biden analysis is conspicuously muted.
Charlamagne says he gets blowback from the White House for criticizing Joe Biden
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) February 19, 2024
These figures, much like Maher, are consumed by partisan loyalty that prevents them from being truth-tellers.
This selective blindness not only diminishes their credibility but also highlights a profound failure to uphold the principles of impartiality and truthfulness they claim to champion.
Granted, on June 28’s “Real Time with Bill Maher,” the host conceded that Biden is not fit to run for president following the President’s disastrous debate performance.
Yet, in the very same episode, he said that he would still vote for his “head in a jar” instead of voting for Trump. Moreover, he claimed that the country was not “falling apart,” was not in a crisis, and that “people are not dying in the streets.”
Maher, so far removed from the everyday struggles of everyday Americans, obviously isn’t familiar with the opioid crisis consuming America or the staggering number of homeless people literally shooting up and dying on said streets.
His misguided, manipulative commentary must stop. One cannot claim to be a truth-teller while consistently spreading falsehoods.
Maher might be one of the most trusted names in media. That says more about the state of today’s media than it does about the controversial comedian.
The post Bill Maher’s Shameless Attempts to Gaslight America appeared first on Hollywood in Toto.